Who's Contending in Oregon's GOP Senate Primary?

Overview of the Candidates in Oregon's U.S. Senate Republican Primary

This is part of a series of stories on the candidates running in the May 19 primary election. Ballots will be mailed to voters April 29.

Seven Republicans are vying for the chance to challenge incumbent U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley, a Democrat, in November. Among the candidates are a state senator, a former nominee and perennial candidate, a businessman, and a retired civil engineer. The race highlights a range of backgrounds and policy priorities as each candidate seeks to win the Republican nomination.

Merkley, who was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 2008, has served in the Oregon House from 1999 to 2009. He was last reelected in 2020 with 56.9% of the vote. His only Democratic opponent in this race is Paul Damian Wells, a retired electrical engineer who has run for Oregon Secretary of State five times.

Here’s what to know about the candidates, listed in the order they will appear on the ballot based on the Secretary of State’s random alphabet ordering.

Deborah Brown: Engineering Background and Policy Priorities

Deborah Brown, a retired civil engineer and former federal auditor, entered the race out of frustration with the direction of the country and Oregon under Merkley’s tenure. She believes that Merkley has led Oregon into decline over his 17 years in office.

Brown argues that she can appeal to voters through common-sense problem-solving, drawing on her 20 years of experience as a civil servant. Her professional background includes engineering work for private firms and federal agencies such as the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Army Corps of Engineers, and Department of the Treasury.

Her top policy priorities include lowering the cost of living and improving housing affordability. She proposes cutting the federal income tax rate in half for individuals earning $150,000 or less and married couples earning $300,000 or less to increase take-home pay for working Americans.

Brown also supports the federal SAVE Act, which she sees as a starting point for fair elections. She advocates for in-person voting, paper ballots, and eliminating voting machines, which she claims are vulnerable to manipulation. Oregon is a vote-by-mail state.

Additionally, she emphasizes the need to address artificial intelligence regulation in Congress and supports increasing logging to reduce wildfire risk, strengthening education, reducing crime, and addressing homelessness.

Russ McAlmond: Businessman and Outsider Perspective

Russ McAlmond, a businessman seeking the Republican nomination, positions himself as an alternative to career politicians. He serves as executive director and founder of the Center for Human Equality and chief investment officer of Rogue Russell Investments in southern Oregon.

McAlmond holds two master's degrees and two bachelor's degrees. He moved to Portland from Washington when he was 12. He emphasizes economic concerns, government accountability, and conservative policy priorities.

He highlights his status as a U.S. Marine veteran and human rights activist, stating that he knows how to fight for "all Oregonians." As a financial expert, he aims to reduce taxes at the state and national levels and supports introducing term limits, promising to serve no more than two terms.

McAlmond also supports a Human Rights Act based on the Declaration of Independence's principles, though he criticizes Democrats for promoting "DEI path and critical race theory," which he believes groups people instead of promoting equality.

Jo Rae Perkins: Faith and Conservative Platform

Jo Rae Perkins, who previously ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate in Oregon, decided to run again because she believes it is her calling. She states that it is what God has placed on her heart to do.

Perkins, born in Virginia but living in Oregon since 1975, received a bachelor's degree in political science from Oregon State University. She is committed to a conservative platform aligned with President Donald Trump. She was in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6, 2021, but denied joining the mob that breached the Capitol.

Perkins supports ending Oregon’s sanctuary state policies, addressing wildfire prevention, protecting rural hospitals, and reforming Medicare Advantage. She also advocates for congressional term limits and reducing taxes on the trucking industry.

This cycle, she is taking a more proactive approach, having drafted and posted "proactive bills" on her campaign website. These include classifying unlawful entry as a felony and making Medicare plans portable across counties.

David Brock Smith: Legislative Experience and Rural Advocacy

Sen. David Brock Smith, representing Oregon’s 1st Senate District, announced his candidacy on March 3. He touts his lifetime of public service and bipartisan problem-solving record.

Smith began his career in Port Orford, serving on the chamber of commerce, city council, and school board before becoming a Curry County Commissioner in 2012. He was elected to the Oregon House in 2017 and appointed to the Oregon Senate in 2023.

His top priorities include forest management and wildfire prevention, addiction treatment, infrastructure investment, and expanding energy production and transmission. He criticizes "environmental hypocrisy" in forest policy, arguing that unmanaged forests have contributed to catastrophic wildfires and carbon emissions.

Smith highlights his work on wildfire preparedness committees and legislation related to firefighting and fuel reduction, including his role as co-chair of the Council of State Governments West's Wildfire & Disaster Preparedness Committee.

Other Candidates and Financial Information

Three other Republicans will be on the ballot in the May 19 primary. Only one of them, Brent Barker, submitted a statement to the voter's pamphlet. Barker, raised in Aloha, holds bachelor's and master's degrees from California State University and is an investment real estate principal broker and business owner.

Barker, who ran unsuccessfully for Oregon Secretary of State in 2024, said he would restore integrity and respect to Oregon and was committed to ending sanctuary crime laws, supporting the SAVE ACT, forging "business alliances" to create new jobs, securing federal infrastructure funds, reducing the high cost of living, and limiting hedge fund investments in housing.

Other candidates include unemployed David A Burch and Timothy Skelton, who described himself as an armed security professional born and raised in Sandy.

Merkley has far outraised any Republican in the race to unseat him. Campaign finance records show he had $6.58 million cash on hand as of March 31. Perkins had $1,056, and Smith had $23,795. The other candidates have not reported receiving any contributions this quarter.